There is no evidence suggesting that by ratifying the 1999 border demarcation agreement Croatia would cede a part of its territory to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the findings of the joint teams that have worked for years on the ground undoubtedly show that the islets of Veliki Skoj and Mali Skoj and the tip of the peninsula of Klek are part of Bosnia and Herzegovina's territory, Bosnia's Transport and Communications Minister Damir Hadzic said in a statement, adding that the alternative to the rejection of the agreement signed by the then two presidents, Franjo Tudjman of Croatia and Alija Izetbegovic of Bosnia, would be going to international arbitration.
According to a statement, Hadzic said that Bosnia and Croatia would invest joint efforts rather than behave like opposing parties to solve the border demarcation issues and issues relating to the construction of the Peljesac Bridge and a traffic corridor through Neum.
The future bridge between Croatia's mainland and its peninsula of Peljesac would bypass a stretch of the coast at Neum where Bosnia and Herzegovina has access to the Adriatic Sea and would ensure Croatia's territorial continuity.
Hadzic recalls that on Tuesday the Bosnian Council of Ministers adopted a conclusion whereby the Bosnian authorities request that the country's representatives should be involved in all activities concerning the construction of a future Neum corridor. He also recalls that the Bosnian parliament has also proposed the consideration of possibilities for continuing the process of ratification of the Tudjman-Izetbegovic border agreement.
"Bosnia and Herzegovina deems the ratification of the Izetbegovic-Tudjman agreement as the best solution for the two countries. We do not believe that the opening of new negotiations would bring about a better result than the proposed solutions," the Bosnian minister said.
"In the event of Croatia's non-ratification, we hold that the issue should be addressed by international arbitration," he added.
As for unnecessary tensions regarding this and other issues such as the Peljesac Bridge and the Neum corridor, he said that "Bosnia and Herzegovina will not interfere in political commotion and discussions with the Opposition in Croatia."
"Likewise, we will not obstruct the construction of the Peljesac Bridge as we believe that during the adoption of the bridge design Croatia will comply with the right of the sovereign state of Bosnia and Herzegovina to have unobstructed access to international waters," he stated.
Hadzic described the two countries as partners, underlining that Bosnia expected only good-neighbourly and equal treatment with mutual respect.
"I believe that we will manage to reach agreement on everything as neighbours and partners."
He called for looking at the Tudjman-Izetbegovic agreement in its entirety and not only at the sea border off Neum. In this way, it is easy to notice the advantages for Croatia regarding border delineation on the River Sava, he said.
